Meiyuu
by Gingeh
Summary: I consider Sasuke my best friend because he was the first person to really take notice of me, right?" Hinata nodded, and Naruto continued. "Well, he’s not really noticing me anymore because he left for the bad guys-” “B-bad guys?” He flushed. “Bad guys."
1. Friendship

* * *

**Meiyuu**

_A Naruto Fanfic  
By Gingeh, who only owns a very shinyful Naruto poster.  
_

* * *

_**Punch. Punch.**_

_Stupid Sasuke._

_**Punch. Kick.**_

_Stupid Sakura._

_**Punch. Punch.**_

_Stupid __world__._

_**Kick. Punch.**_

"A-ano…"

He jumped, and grabbed a kunai, twirling to face his opponent.

"Eep!"

…_Oh. It's just that weird girl._

True to form, Hinata had her fingers up by her face, which, already pink, darkened to maroon when Naruto met her eyes. She gulped, and seemed to have to _force_ words out of her mouth.

"N-N-Naruto-kun…you b-broke the t-target a w-while ago. A-and I t-think if you k-keep t-training on that t-tree, it w-will fall d-down..."

He glanced in front of him and, sure enough, the target was in pieces on the ground, and there was a rather large dent in the tree in front of him. Huh. Go figure.

He chuckled and turned back to Hinata, who was carefully looking at the sky, the tree, her feet – anywhere but him.

_Why _is _it that she can never look people in the eyes? It's not that hard…well, it's kind of difficult now, but that's only because _she _won't look at _me_. _

He grinned at her, hoping she'd look up. "Thanks for the warning!"

She jumped, her face flushing again.

"N-n-no p-problem, Naruto-k-kun."

There were a few moments of silence, something rare for Naruto. _But what am I supposed to talk about with this girl? Besides, I'd really rather be alone right now. But it's not her fault I'm in a bad mood, and she did save that tree, so-_

"Naruto-k-kun?"

He blinked. She'd started a conversation? That was weird… "Yeah?"

"A-ano…if i-it's not i-imposing too much…w-what happened?"

He felt his jaw drop to the ground. _How did she…_

He pulled his face back into normal grin when he noticed her staring. "What do you mean? Nothing happened." He gave her the official nice-guy thumbs-up.

"B-but, Naruto-kun…N-Naruto-kun only t-trains like this w-when something b-bad has h-happened."

"No way, Hinata! I train all the time! I have to build up my strength to become hokage, ya' know."

She shuffled her feet. "I k-know you t-train a l-lot, N-Naruto-kun. B-but, you o-only train like _t-this _when s-something is w-wrong."

He froze.

"I-It might h-help to t-talk about it…"

Deciding to continue to pretend he was fine would be pointless, he let his cheerfulness drop. "I don't think talking will make me feel any better…"

"It n-never h-hurts to t-try."

He gave her a half-hearted version of signature grin. "Persistent, eh? Alright. It can't hurt, I guess. Just…promise you won't laugh or something, okay?"

She smiled, face still cherry-red. "I'd n-never l-laugh at you, N-Naruto-kun."

"Okay, then." He sat down and leaned his back against the tree, closing his eyes. "Well, I overheard Sakura talking – well, arguing really – with Ino. You know who they are right?"

She nodded, and he continued.

"It went something like this…"

* * *

"_Ramen, ramen, ramen…" Naruto whistled happily and patted the coupons in his pocket. It wasn't everyday fate let free ramen vouchers blow into in his face, and he certainly wasn't going to let these go to waste. "Now, should I have chicken, or beef, or-"_

"_You just want him for yourself!"_

"_Shh!"_

_He paused midstep. Wasn't that Sakura? Didn't she have hospital duty today?_

_He backed up, and sure enough, sitting on a bench a little way away from where he was standing, was Sakura, joined by her friend with the ponytail…what was her name?_

"_Don't think I'm falling for this, pig!"_

_Oh, yeah, Ino!_

_They lowered their voices and, unable to resist being curious, he crept closer, until he was crouching behind a bush about two feet away._

"_First off, why would I want to steal _him_? He's a traitor," Ino snarled. "The people he betrayed us for? They _killed_ my sensei. They've also hurt my teammates, on multiple occasions, and their goal is to destroy Konaha, the world…everything and everyone I care about. Why would I have any romantic feelings for anyone like that?"_

Oh._ He felt a pang in his chest. _Sasuke_…_

"_He is NOT a traitor!" Sakura's face had turned red, and she looked on the edge of tears. _

"_You can't deny it. And he's always going to _be _a traitor. I know you and Naruto have high hopes, but even if Sasuke somehow has a miraculous turnaround and decides to come back, no one in this village will trust him. He'll be despised, scorned. Hated." Her tone indicated that she would definitely be one of those people scorning. "He'll pretend he doesn't care, but he'll get angry. And eventually, he'll leave. He made a choice, a life choice, and there's no going back."_

_Sakura was openly crying now. "You're wrong! We can make it happen!"_

"_You can't turn back time, Sakura. We all wish we could…but we can't. You have to live for the future, Sakura, not for the past."_

_She put a hand on her friend's head and ruffled her hair. "There's plenty of other guys, ya' know, forehead."_

"_I don't _want_ anyone else! I LOVE him, pig!"_

_Naruto sucked in air, and rapidly started crawling away._

* * *

He let his depression overwhelm him, and let his head sink into his hands.

"And there you go. She's in love with Sasuke. I mean, I know she's said it a million times in the past but this time was…different."

He shook his head. "I guess this makes me stupid, being love with her all this time and not noticing. I mean, it's been _years_, and I still didn't get it.I sure do now, though.And it hurts. Unrequited love is the worst kind…"

"It r-really is…" she whispered.

"Huh?"

"N-nothing."

He felt a cool hand touch his shoulder, and smiled gratefully. "Thanks for hearing me out, Hinata. We hardly even talk, yet here I am, ranting to you like I've known you my whole life."

She shook her head. "N-no, I a-asked. I s-should be t-thanking _you_, for l-letting me l-listen."

He lifted his head, she blushed again. They both smiled.

"You wanna go get some ramen? Itchiraku's isn't far."

For a moment, she looked like she'd gone to heaven – and was possibly going to faint. But then, her face darkened. "I c-can't. My f-father d-doesn't allow m-me to e-eat at p-public v-vendors. H-he s-says it's u-unbefitting of the H-Hyuuga h-heiress."

He shrugged. "Then you can stay here, and I'll run down and grab us some takeout. We can picnic!"

A huge grin lit up her face, and she nodded happily. And _then_ fainted.

* * *

From then on, take-out at the old training grounds was a common occurrence. Naruto and Hinata quickly grew closer, though they rarely met outside of meals.

"Ya' know," said Naruto, somehow managing to talk coherently through a mouthful of food, "I've never been able to talk to someone this long before. Well, I talked to Pervy Sage a lot while we were training, but he usually stopped paying attention after about six words."

Hinata giggled. "I-I'm sure you're e-exaggerating a l-little, N-Naruto-kun."

"I'm serious! Unless the topic was girls or his books, he'd zone out. I'd realize it I few minutes later when he'd start drooling or something…"

She laughed, and he grinned.

"Anyway, you're a really great listener, Hinata. Whenever I talk to Sakura, she just hits me." He rubbed his forehead. "Half the time I don't even know why she does it. I don't think she knows either, I think she just likes hurting me for some twisted reason. I'd say it's revenge for not bringing her precious Sasuke-kun back yet, but she was hitting me even before he left. It's a real mystery…"

"M-Maybe y-you're her stress r-reliever, like t-training is for y-you."

"Huh. I guess that kinda makes sense..."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, the peace only broken by Naruto's slurps.

"You know," said Naruto, talking with his mouth full again, "I just realized, even Kakashi-sensei doesn't really pay attention to me! I mean, it's really not fair. He listens to Sakura, and he even taught Sasuke the Chidori before he left, but me? Natta. Zip."

He swallowed. "No wonder I consider Sasuke my best friend. I mean, he's an arrogant, emo, incredibly annoying bastard, and even HE ignored me half the time – but the other half, he raced me. Insult-battled with me. Competed with me. Basically, he's the first kid my own age who acknowledged my existence as something worthy, worthy enough for him to call a rival."

Hinata opened her mouth, then closed in, then opened it again. "H-he…h-he w-wasn't the f-f-first…"

"Huh?"

She took a deep breath…then let in out in a sigh. "N-never mind."

"No fair, now I'm curious! Tell me, tell me!"

"I-it's nothing…"

"Awww, c'mon!"

"N-no, really…"

"But I wanna know!"

"Y-you were s-saying something a-about Sasuke-k-kun, Naruto…w-what was it?"

"Oh. Right. Well…I consider Sasuke my best friend because he was the first person to really take notice of me, right? Well, he's not really noticing me anymore, because he left for the bad guys-"

She giggled. "B-bad guys?"

His face took a red tinge. "Bad guys. Anyway, considering his second-to-main purpose in life now is to kill me, I don't think I can really consider him my _best _friend anymore. Sure, he's paying attention to me, but now that I have a choice, I'd prefer people to notice me in less…deadly ways. So, he is now officially _not _my best friend anymore. He's still my friend, though. Nothing in the universe can change that."

He gripped an imaginary pen, and crossed Sasuke's name off a floating, imaginary list with a large flourish.

"There!" He dusted his hands off. She smiled at his antics, and took another bite of ramen.

* * *

A few months after Naruto's renouncement of Sasuke, Hinata and Naruto were once again having lunch. They'd been mostly sitting in silence, Naruto eating and Hinata thinking, since the meal had begun.

"N-Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"T-this is p-probably a s-silly question…b-but…are we f-f-friends?"

He stopped mid-mouthful, a single strand of noodle dangling from his lip. "…You have to _ask_?"

She avoided his gaze. _She actually thinks I'm going to say no_, he thought in disbelief. "Of _course_ we're friends, Hinata! We're _better_ then friends! I mean, you're the only person I know who will sit through a three-hour ramen lunch with me _six_ times a _week_, and not be frothing at the mouth by the end. Heck, I think you actually _enjoy_ it! Not to mention that you're a great listener, and the only person I can think of who'll pay attention to more then the first three words that come out of my mouth. You're an amazing ninja, you're smart, you're brave, and…" He grinned. "You make the best cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted. If that's not a quality for a great friend, I don't know what is."

She didn't move. She didn't speak. Naruto frowned.

"Hinata?"

Nothing.

"Hi-na-ta?"

He waved a hand in front of her face. Nothing. "Hey, are you okay?"

After several minutes of trying to raise her out of her stupor, Naruto was at his last resort. He whispered a quick 'sorry', grabbed a jug of lemonade, and dumped the contents over her head. She sputtered, and recovered her senses.

"What were you doing?"

Her face reddened. "I…I'm s-sorry, N-Naruto-kun…I t-think I started d-daydreaming. W-what did you s-s-say?"

"I said, _of course_ we're friends, better then friends, and then I started listing all your great qualities, like being a great listener, and being so patient, and cooking so good-"

"Well," she corrected automatically. _She's looking kind of dazed again…_

"See? You even talk right! You're the best-speaking person I know, ya' know. Would you mind tutoring me in that sometime, by the way? Because Tsunade-baa-chan is always going on and on about how I'll never be hokage if I keep saying 'aint' and that sorta thing-"

_**Thump**_.

Hinata? Hinata!"

She'd fainted.

He reached for another pitcher.

* * *

"Hinata?"

"Y-yes?"

Naruto had finished his lunch, and, until a few moments ago, had been staring silently into space. He shifted his gaze back to Hinata, who was finishing her cinnamon roll, and said, "Did you know…five years ago today, Sasuke left the village to join Orochimaru."

Her eyes softened in sympathy. "N-Naruto-kun…"

He stared out into the distance, watching something she couldn't see. "It's also the day I broke my first promise. The one to Sakura, when I told her I'd bring him back. I'd never…failed to keep my word before. It was really tough. A couple of times right after that, I almost decided to stop being a ninja. To give up. The only reason I kept at it was because of Sakura. I couldn't just leave her alone. Even if she hated me because I wasn't _him_, I still loved her, and she needed to have someone."

He flopped onto his back, his eyes following the clouds in a way that eerily resembled a certain lazy genius.

"But I couldn't take it. Whenever she looked at me, I saw blame. Every word she spoke had a little bitterness behind it. I couldn't leave her, but I couldn't stay either. It was tearing my heart apart. So I left, telling myself it was just to get stronger, so I could bring him back. Keep my promise. I'd make Sakura smile without pain, and her first one would be for me.

"But I came back, and I still couldn't beat him. No matter what I did, he was always one better then me. His advantage was, and _is_, that he's willing to kill me. I don't have that luxury. So I keep trying, and I keep failing, and even though Sakura's okay now, she won't be really happy until I can bring him back."

A breeze rustled the grass, and Hinata lay down next to him, staring upwards as well. He turned his head and smiled at her.

"But," he said, his eyes losing the depressed sheen in favor of his usual twinkle, "_One_ year ago today, we had our first lunch, out here." He waved his hand around to indicate the training grounds. "You really helped me that day, Hinata. You always help me. No matter what problem I have, just talking to you about makes it seem so much…smaller. There's no one else I know who can do that."

She blushed. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

His mouth suddenly dropped, and he stared at her. Her heart started pounding. "What? What is it?!"

His eyes were wide, and he whispered, "You didn't stutter."

Her own eyes widened, and then closed as she fainted.

* * *

"…So then I said, 'Yeah? Well, _I _once beat a certain ninja by farting!' And Kiba turned this really funny shade of red, and Choji laughed so hard he started choking on some of his chips!"

Hinata started giggling, her eyes dancing. "That explains why he was so quiet during practice yesterday! Oh, poor Kiba-kun, he must have been so embarrassed!"

He grinned wickedly. "Oh, I didn't stop there! I also said-"

"Naruto?"

He froze. Hinata paled.

Standing just three feet away and staring at the two of them with a shocked expression on her face, was Haruno Sakura.

She looked back and forth between the two of them, then to the remains of their picnic on the ground.

Naruto nervously ran a hand through his hair. "H-hey, Sakura-chan. What's up? Heh-heh…"

"What were you two doing?"

"A-ano…w-we were h-h-having lunch, Sakura-san…"

_Huh, _Naruto thought absently._ I guess she still stutters when she's talking to other people…_

Sakura had a glint in her eyes, and it was frightening both of them. "I see…" she said, nodding sagely. "You were having lunch. Way out here. Alone. Talking, laughing."

Her eyes still held that creepy glint, and Naruto scooted away. Hinata seemed too scared to move.

Sakura's face suddenly broke into a broad smirk. "Don't worry, I'll leave you alone for your _date _now."

A brief moment of silence. Then, chaos.

Naruto jumped up and started babbling and denying, waving his hands around so frantically that he hit himself in the face, multiple times. Sakura still had that irritating, knowing smirk on her face, and she had started snickering wickedly.

Hinata, predictably, had fainted.

"We were – _are_, not on a date!"

"Suuuurrrre, Naruto. By the way, you're blushing."

"No, I'm not!"

"Don't worry about me telling anyone, I'll keep quiet."

"There's nothing to tell!"

She didn't seem to hear him. "A secret love…how romantic!"

She smiled, and his face resembled a tomato. "It is not!"

"There's no point in denying it, Naruto, I saw it with my own two eyes."

"You didn't _see _anything! We were just having lunch, like we always do-"

He realized his mistake too late. Sakura was already grinning like the Cheshire Cat, rubbing her hands together evilly. "_Always_, you say? Having lunch like _always_?"

He suddenly felt an urge to run up to the nearest hard surface and start banging his head against it. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_!

"Well, we're not trying to keep it a secret or anything," he defended. "But her dad doesn't-"

Sakura gasped dramatically, interrupting him. "No need to say more, Naruto! Ah, forbidden romance…" She closed her eyes. "I can see it all clearly now…the shunned orphan loves the heiress, but her evil father despises the boy, and orders him banished! Their love is doomed! But, the orphan and the heiress continue to meet in secret…"

She sighed, smiling dreamily for a moment, but then squealed loudly, grinning and hugging herself. "It's just like a fairy tale!"

"No, it's not!"

Again, she ignored him, instead whirling around and skipping away, humming.

"Oi!" he yelled after her, frustrated, and she turned.

"Don't worry, Naruto!" she grinned. "Your secret is safe with me!"

Then she was gone, and he face-palmed.

_Somehow, that _doesn't _make me feel better._

He sighed, and finally noticed the passed out Hyuuga. He reached for the nearest pitcher, turned back to her…and felt his cheeks flame as his eyes rested on her face. He groaned, mentally berating himself. When his stupid face didn't return to its normal hue, and his stupid eyes didn't stop staring at her, he had no choice but to empty the jug on his own head.

* * *

A flash of pink. Naruto, who _had _been wandering mindlessly through the street, instantly dove into the nearest stall and cowered behind the curtain, ignoring the curious stares he got from the customers. He took a chance and peeked out…

Oh. It was just some lady wearing a pink hat. He sighed in relief, placing a hand over his pounding heart.

_Okay, I have _got _to stop _doing _that!_

This was stupid. Ever since The Incident, he'd been avoiding Sakura like the plague. So far, thanks to his awesome ninja skills – and a little, tiny bit of luck – he'd been able to stay out of her way. "But I can't do this forever," he mumbled.

"Do what forever?"

He jumped so high, he hit his head on the stall's ceiling. Sakura, who'd somehow managed to sneak up behind him while he was talking to himself, laughed. He shuddered. Ordinarily, laughter was a good thing. But with that creepy glint in her eye, a glint which she had somehow managed to keep since The Incident almost two weeks ago, it became something sinister.

He took a deep breath. _Okay, Naruto, just carefully explain to her that it was _not_ a date, just two friends having lunch. That's perfectly normal. It's also perfectly normal to have said lunch about six times a week. Friends do that all the time. It's also perfectly normal to have it way out there where no one can see us, because…well, because, Neji, Kiba, Hiashi, and probably a whole bunch of other overprotective freaks would start acting homicidal if they knew I was friends with her. Not to mention, a lot of people would misunderstand and start saying we're a couple. Like Sakura's doing now. So, just explain that to her, and she'll get it, and leave us alone._

"Okay, Sakura? You should know..." he began, and then trailed off when he realized the pink-haired girl was nowhere to be seen.

He couldn't figure out if he was relieved, or incredibly annoyed.

* * *

"No way!"

The high-pitched squeal rang through Naruto's ears, and he instinctively dropped to the ground in stealth mode. Now, where had that come from…

"Way!!"

_Ah hah! Over there! _

And, indeed, sitting once again on that historic – at least, in his mind – bench, Ino and Sakura were giggling hysterically. He inched closer, slinking his way over to the bush that had hidden him so well the first time. _What _are _they talking about?_

"Are you sure?" Ino looked positively giddy.

Sakura waited a dramatic second, and then slowly nodded her head. This set both girls off on a long trail of delighted laughter. Naruto was feeling a sudden sense of foreboding.

"I can't believe it!" Ino said breathlessly, before dissolving into giggles again.

"I didn't, either!" Sakura grinned broadly, and, Naruto noted with some fear, that glint was _still _in her eye. In fact, it seemed to have intensified. Creepy. "But it's totally true! And, to top it all off, you know what he said when I confronted him?"

Ino sat straight up. "There's_ more_?! Spill!"

Sakura glanced around, and then motioned Ino closer. Naruto strained to hear her next words.

"He said, that they were just having lunch together…_like always_."

He froze as he felt his brain stop. Only one thought made it through over the girls' delighted shrieks. _Sakura told Ino. Which makes Hinata and I… the village's hottest gossip. Conclusion: I am SO dead._

After a few moments of comprehending this information, Naruto's brain went into Hyper-Escape Drive, and he bolted. Well, sneaked away from the gossiping duo, _then _bolted.

* * *

"Naruto-kun?"

"Shhhh!"

He clapped a hand over her mouth, glanced fugitively around her room, then dashed back through the window he'd come through moments before, dragging Hinata with him. "I can't _explain_ right now, but it's really important," he told her in a sharp whisper. "It couldn't wait until lunch tomorrow."

"M-m-mmmph!" _How she manages to stutter while mumbling incoherently, I'll never know._

He leapt over the wall surround the Hyuuga compound, still cradling Hinata. He set off at a run down the street and over the rooftops, until they finally reached the dark, secluded training grounds. He set her down gently, noting silently that she was an even deeper red then usual.

"Look, before you say anything, I _know _it was really rude of me to snatch you out of your bed in the middle of the night, but I've been hiding all day and couldn't do it until now."

She opened her mouth, probably to say something about how it would be considered rude to snatch someone from their bed even in the daylight, but she closed it and nodded. "Okay, Naruto-kun. What were you hiding from?"

He grinned at her, but then remembered the severity of their situation. "Sakura told Ino her twisted version of The Incident at lunch the other day. And Ino's sure to have told anyone who'll listen. Which means, by this time tomorrow, Konaha will be going insane, you'll probably be in some sort of formal meeting with your dad, and I'll have died about three or four times at the hands of various different over-protective scary people."

Hinata's face had gone from red to white, and she was hyperventilating a little bit. "What are we going to do?!"

He scratched the back of his head. "I don't know! I've been trying to think of something all day, but…" He shrugged. "Planning stuff out isn't really my strong suit. My instinct is to just fight anyone who makes a comment, but I can't beat up the whole village!"

He collapsed to the ground, looking defeated. "Maybe we should just hole up in Suna until everyone forgets about us. I'm sure Gaara'd find us somewhere to live." His eyes turned thoughtful. "It'd probably be pretty nice place, too, considering his position. Probably not much compared to your Hyuuga Mansion, but still. It'd probably have lots of servants, and rooms, and meals…free ramen…" He trailed off, drooling slightly.

Hinata seemed torn between laughing and crying. "Naruto, running away won't help anything…in fact, it might make things worse! What if the Hokage needs you, or what if…what if my father found out! He'd murder you!"

"He's gonna murder me tomorrow anyway," Naruto said matter-of-factly, snapping out of his daydream. "Him, and Kiba, and Neji, and probably Gai and Lee too, just because it'd be youthful or something."

"…Yes, but…"

"Look, I'll leave a note with Tsunade-baa-chan, so she'll know where to find me, and you, if she needs us. And, she can probably cover for us with your dad. She can tell him we had an emergency mission or something." Hinata still looked worried, so he stood and placed a companionable arm around her shoulders. "Look, we won't be gone long, just long enough for this stupidity to blow over. Then we can come back, no one'll talk, and I won't be dead! See, this is for the best!"

She hesitated for a few more seconds, but Naruto's arm around her shoulders seemed to be quickly robbing her of her better judgment, and she finally nodded.

Naruto grinned hugely. "Great! Do you need anything before we go? Not like clothes, I'm sure we can get some in Suna…"

As she shook her head, he grinned again. "All right! Then let's head for Tsunade's office – I'll leave the note on her desk."

He ho_A_pped up into the nearest tree, Hinata following a few seconds later.

* * *

"All right, Hinata! Just about another three days, and we'll be there!"

"Okay, Naruto-kun."

They continued tree-jumping in relative silence, trying to conserve energy. That is, until…

"Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, Hinata?"

"There's a large amount of chakra quickly coming our way."

"Huh. Enemies, eh?"

"Well, they could be friendly…but…"

He sighed. "I reeeeeaaalllly just wanted to get to Suna in peace," he whined to no one in particular. "Is that too much to ask?"

"They'll be here in three…two…one…"

"Hello, _dobe_."

The word was hissed, and Naruto's eyes first widened, then narrowed dangerously at the person standing imperiously in front of him. "Sasuke…"

* * *

_**To be continued…**_

* * *

**Authoress Note:**

_Hey, everyone! Finally, you guys get to see what I've been working on since July. The whole thing is 7,610 words, so I figured I'd split it up into two chapters so you wouldn't get bored in the middle or something. _

_In case you haven't already guessed, it's a NaruHina fic. I absolutely adore that pairing, even though it really doesn't have much hope. But then again, love conquers all, so...maybe Naruto will wise up a bit and they'll live happily ever after! -crosses fingers-_

_Anyway, the next and final installment should be out either tomorrow or the day after. I hope you'll like it!_

_Ooh, and before I forget, those of you who care, the title means 'sworn friend' in Japanese._

_Review, please! But all flamers shall be bonked on the head with a clock. One of those big, old-fashioned clocks that weigh a bajillion pound. Muahahahaha!_


	2. Best Friends?

* * *

**Meiyuu**

_A Naruto Fanfic  
By Gingeh, who doesn't own Naruto. Or Hinata, or Sakura, or Sasuke, or Tsunade, or Neji, or Kiba, or Shino...__  
_

* * *

"_All right, Hinata! Just about another three days, and we'll be there!"_

"_Okay, Naruto-kun."_

_They continued tree-jumping in relative silence, trying to conserve energy. That is, until…_

"_Naruto-kun?"_

"_Yeah, Hinata?"_

"_There's a large amount of chakra quickly coming our way."_

"_Huh. Enemies, eh?"_

"_Well, they could be friendly…but…"_

_He sighed. "I reeeeeaaalllly just wanted to get to Suna in peace," he whined to no one in particular. "Is that too much to ask?"_

"_They'll be here in three…two…one…"_

"_Hello, dobe."_

_The word was hissed, and Naruto's eyes first widened, then narrowed dangerously at the person standing imperiously in front of him. "Sasuke…" _

Sasuke smirked. "Who else?"

"Well, you could've been Itachi, which would've _really_ been annoying, or maybe-"

"You talk too much, you annoying baka." Sasuke cupped a hand around his mouth, fire already brewing in his eyes. "I've put up with you since our Academy days, but I've made a decision. I'm going to destroy you now, fox or no fox. The Mangekyo Sharingan will be more then worth it."

"It won't work."

Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously. "What did you say, dobe?"

"I said, _it won't work_."

"And why, may I ask, not?"

"Because," Naruto said, absently scratching his forehead as he spoke, "To get the Mangekyo Sharingan, you have to kill your 'best friend'. Sasuke, you're my friend, for all you've turned into a power-hungry homicidal psychopath, but you're no longer my best friend. Someone else fills that spot."

"Oh?" Sasuke smiled sarcastically. "And who might that be? Kiba? Lee? What pathetic loser could fill _my _place? What man could possibly be better the Uchiha Sasuke? Please, enlighten me."

"It's not that hard to be a better best friend then you, baka." Naruto snorted. "You abandoned our village to join some psychotic, creepy snake-man, devote your entire life to becoming more powerful then your brother so you can kill him, and have tried to murder me and my friends on multiple occasions. Yeah, that really makes you think, 'best friend'."

Sasuke's face was icy, mocking. "Okay, dobe. I'll humor you for a few seconds. Your new best friend… what's his name?"

"_Her _name," Naruto corrected him firmly. "_Her _name is Hyuuga Hinata."

Silence reigned between the two for a moment. Then…Sasuke started chuckling.

"You almost had me believing you there, Naruto. But seriously, a girl? And the Hyuuga heiress, at that! Like she'd even give you the time of day!"

"She is too my best friend! We have lunch together every day!"

"You can give it up, baka. I'm not buying it."

"But-"

"A-ano…"

Both shinobi jumped.

Hinata stepped out from the shadow of a branch, her blush so deep that if you'd held her up to a tomato, she'd've been redder. "Ano…U-Uchiha-san, N-Naruto-kun is telling the truth…"

Sasuke studied her carefully, an annoyed expression on his face. "And you are?"

Naruto face-palmed. "She's Hyuuga Hinata, Hyuuga Hinata!"

Sasuke looked incredulous. "Really?"

She nodded once. "Y-y-yes, U-Uchiha-san. I w-was with y-you the w-whole t-time we w-were at the A-Academy…"

Sasuke watched her for another moment. "You do seem slightly familiar…and you have the Byakugan, I see."

He nodded once, apparently to himself, and then jumped to a higher branch. "We'll meet again."

Then he was gone. Hinata gave a sigh of relief. "He is very intimidating."

"Yeah, I guess…" Naruto stared at the place Sasuke had stood for a moment, the shook his head. "Okay! To Suna!"

* * *

_Three months later…_

* * *

Naruto waved cheerfully at the guard posted at Konaha's entryway. "We're back!"

Recognizing him, the guard grinned. "It's been awhile, Naruto. How was your mission?"

"Oh, it was great. Real great. Fantastic, actually." He nodded, first emphatically, then rather dreamily. Hinata pulled him away before he could say something about the wonderful quality of the ramen he'd had on this 'mission'. "Hurry, N-Naruto-kun. We need to r-report to Tsunade-sama."

"Huh? Oh, right."

Once they were a safe distance away, Naruto pulled up short. "Do we really need to report to her _now_? She's sure to yell at me for taking off so suddenly, and for dragging you with me." His eyes were big and imploring. "Besides, this wasn't technically a mission, so we don't really _need _to report to her."

She sighed. "Naruto, the hokage needs to know we're back. And, obviously, she was kind enough to cover for us. I need to know what kind of 'mission' we've been on, so I can explain my absence to Father."

"Oh," he said, deflated. "I guess there's no choice then."

"We're already here, anyway," she said, pointed to the large building in front of them. "C'mon, Naruto-kun."

They entered, and Hinata walked up to the receptionist. "Ano…w-we're here to report to T-Tsunade-sama…"

"Ah, Hyuuga-san," said the woman, smiling brightly. "Please, go right ahead. The hokage is currently doing paperwork, but she should receive you." Her eyes traveled past Hinata to rest on Naruto. She frowned. "I see you're back, Naruto."

"Nice to see you, too, Mizuki-san," he said, nervously running a hand through his hair. I_ see she still remembers me. _

"Is _he _with you, Hyuuga-san?"

"Yes, h-he is."

"Hmph. Well, you may go now. Her office is at the end of the hall."

"Y-yes. Thank you, M-Mizuki-san."

She flashed Hinata another smile, then glared at Naruto and returned to her work.

As they walked out of earshot, Hinata whispered, "What did you do to make her so angry?"

"Just a few small things. You know, like forgetting to ask if the hokage is already with someone before running down the hallway, not remembering to bow at the proper times…" _Sticking a frog in her paperwork…._

She nodded. "Oh."

They'd reached the door. Hinata knocked twice. There was a sudden snort, a brief rustling of papers, then a horse, sleepy, "Come in."

They walked inside, Hinata carefully shutting the door behind them. Tsunade, sake bottle clutched in her hand, glanced up from her paperwork. Her eyes narrowed when she saw who it was, and Naruto gulped.

"Hey, Tsunade-baa-chan. Long time no see, huh?"

"You," she whispered dangerously. "You little _brat_!"

She grabbed the nearest sharp object, an engraved silver pen, and threw it at his head. He yelped, dodging, and the pen embedded itself into the wall. Tsunade glared at it, then at Naruto. "Do you have _any_ idea what I've gone through? First off, at six-o-clock in the morning, the whole Hyuuga clan bursts in here, demanding I find their daughter within the next five minutes and punish whoever dared to kidnap her. Then, while I'm fumbling for an explanation and trying not to kill him, I look down at my desk and find your note saying, 'Hey, Obaa-chan, Hinata and I are being attacked by _gossipers_, and are heading for Suna. Cover for us, okay?' So then I'm forced to _lie_ for you and say I sent you and Hiashi's precious heiress on an A-rank mission. Which, of course, sends him into another tirade about risking Hinata and don't-you-know-she's-completely-incompetent, and so on, so I order him and his escort thrown out. So, to get back at me, they decide to sulk in their manor for the next three days, which sends all of Konaha into an uproar! Do you have any _idea _how difficult it is to calm an uproaring town? Very, very difficult."

"Look, I'm sorry!" Naruto defended, Hinata cowering behind him. "But our lives were at risk! You know how Hiashi is, if he even suspected someone like me was having lunch with his daughter, he'd go insane! Not to mention, Neji would completely destroy me, Kiba'd have Akamaru turn me into a werewolf or something, and Shino would send his freaky bugs after me! Not to mention Hinata would be locked in her room for the rest of eternity, if not longer. We didn't have a choice!"

"You're overreacting, you baka." She slouched back down into her chair and rubbed her temples. "But not completely. Alright, I see your point. You really didn't have another option, but would you mind giving me a bit of a warning next time?"

"We're hoping there won't _be _a next time. Once was scary enough."

"I second that," Tsunade said wearily, and Hinata nodded her own agreement.

"You two aren't injured or anything, are you? I'm required to ask that."

"N-no…" "Nope, we're good!"

"Good. Did anything of interest occur during your little vacation?"

"Well, I learned that Suna ramen is really, really good! It has these weird spices in it that really ups the flavor-"

"Besides the food, Naruto!"

"A-ano…we _did _run into U-Uchiha Sasuke on our w-way there."

"…What?!"

"Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten about that…"

"You don't _forget _about running into S-rank missing shinobi," Tsunade fumed. "What are you, a chuunin now? How the heck did you get that high?!"

"Well, it was only for a few seconds, and he left without fighting me."

"…That's rather odd," the hokage said, furrowing her eyebrows. "Did he find you, or did you find him?"

"T-the first one, T-Tsunade-sama."

"Downright strange. Why would he go to all the trouble of finding you, just to leave without a battle?"

"Because the dobe here said something surprising."

At the new voice, all three whirled to face the window, where a nonchalant Sasuke was lounging comfortably.

"Uchiha!" the hokage growled. "How did you get in here?!"

"Your security needs some tightening, Hokage-sama," Sasuke smirked. "Anyway, to answer your previous question, I left because Naruto proclaimed he'd found a new best friend, which, as you can imagine, put a bit of a damper on my plans for him."

"One would think so," Tsunade said dryly, but her eyes flicked to Naruto.

"You're surprised, Hokage-same? I was as well. In fact, I completely didn't believe him, especially when he told me who it was."

"Who was it, Naruto?" Tsunade's eyes never left Sasuke's.

"Uh…Hinata."

"Really?" She looked thoughtful. "Huh. Didn't expect that."

"I didn't either, Hokage-sama. But when I met her-"

"What do you mean, 'met'? Didn't you go to the Academy together?"

Sasuke looked disgruntled. "She doesn't stand out, okay? I can't be blamed for forgetting her."

Hinata blushed, and Naruto scowled.

"At any rate, to continue from before your interruption, Hokage-sama, after I met – _re_-met – Hyuuga Hinata, I began to consider that he was telling the truth. I've spent the past few months pondering this, and I believe I have figured it out."

"Figured what out?" Naruto asked bluntly.

"If you are actually best friends with her or not! Kami, do I have to go through this every other sentence?!"

"Well, you're not making any sense, teme!"

"You wouldn't understand sense if it was right under your nose, dobe!"

"Would too!"

"Would not!"

"Would too!"

"You know, when they're like this, I can totally see them as teammates," Tsunade remarked conversationally to Hinata. "Kakashi still complains about those times, you know. I think I finally understand why."

"Would not!"

"Would too!"

"Would not!"

Hinata delicately massaged her temples. "I feel very s-sorry for K-Kakashi-san. I am s-surprised he m-managed to a-avoid going d-deaf."

"Would too!"

"Would not!"

"Would too!"

"Would not!"

"Would too!"

"Would not!"

"Would too!"

"Would too!"

"Would not!"

"Ha! So you admit it! Dobe!"

"No fair! You tricked me, you teme!"

"I didn't trick you, I used strategy, something _you _wouldn't understand!"

"You're a cheater! Cheater, cheater, cheater!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Cheater cheater cheater cheater-"

"Both of you, BE QUIET!!"

Tsunade's roar effectively quieted the room, and Hinata breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now, Sasuke, what were you saying? Something about having 'figured it out'?"

"Ah…yes." Sasuke's face was tinged red, possibly from yelling so loudly, and possibly from being caught arguing like a child. "Well, I've decided that, though Naruto may feel close to Hinata, it is not because she is his best friend."

"What?! That's stupid! Of course it's because she's my best-"

"Naruto, let him talk, or we'll never figure this out!"

"But Baa-chan!"

"Listen to your hokage, dobe."

"Why you – mmph!"

Hinata had clapped a hand over his mouth, stifling his speech. "P-please, continue, U-Uchiha-san."

"Thank you." He smirked at Naruto, then continued. "As I was saying, it is not because Hinata is Naruto's best friend, but rather, she's the one he _likes_."

Sasuke paused for emphasis, but all he got was blank stares. He groaned. "Honestly! _Likes_! Has a crush on! Harbors romantic feelings towards!"

_That _got the reaction he was hoping for. Naruto turned a bright, crimson red and started sputtering incoherently, the hand removed from his mouth because Hinata had crumpled to the floor in a dead faint. Tsunade started laughing, "Oh, so _that's _why you two were so eager to escape those rumors – they were _true_!"

Sasuke grinned triumphantly. "By your reactions, my hypothesis has been proven correct. I'm officially your best friend once again. And, to prove it to you, I'll leave peaceably and destroy you _next _time."

He leapt out the window onto the neighboring rooftop, leaving complete and utter chaos behind him.

* * *

Several minutes later, Tsunade, still grinning teasingly at him, ordered Naruto to take the unconscious Hinata home to her father. "Try to get there at a reasonable hour, okay?" She winked teasingly at him, and he _ran_, dragging Hinata behind him, trying to get as far away from the creepy granny as possible. _I don't even want to know what she meant by that_, he thought, trying to suppress his shudders.

He'd decided to take the least-populated route – after all, if people saw him carrying Hinata, they might get the wrong idea, and then the escape to Suna would've been for nothing.

He made it to the old training grounds successfully, breathing heavily. He set Hinata down carefully, then collapsed to the ground himself. After a moment, he rolled over to stare at Hinata.

_I…like her?_

He groaned. "This is too complicated."

"No, it's not."

"Why the heck are you still here, teme?!"

"Because, you're stupid, and unless I explain love to you you'll probably decide to just ignore everything and go on believing she's your best friend. And I need to be absolutely certain that I get the Mangekyo Sharingan when I kill you, so I figure I better do some best-friend-like things."

"Oh. Well, whatever."

Sasuke sighed, jumping down from the training pole he'd been perched on. "Look, figuring out if you're in love is easy. All you have to do is match up the characteristics."

"Huh?"

"Look, does your heart beat faster when you're around her?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Does your faced turn red whenever anyone asks if you like her, or tells you she likes you?"

Naruto nodded.

"Do you get angry when other guys talk to her? Like, say…Kiba?"

"Well, I haven't exactly seen her around many guys. She kinda keeps to herself, y'know. And we generally don't see each other outside of lunch, and lunch is just the two of us."

"Lunch? You're going on dates with her, and you're _still _in denial?!"

"There not dates! Geez, you sound like Sakura! It's just two friends getting together to eat, five or six times a week. Totally normal."

"Totally normal, he says." Sasuke shook his head disgustedly. "You know, I thought you'd reached the limits of your stupidity, but you've just proved me wrong."

"Oi!"

"Anyway, on to the final, most important question: Do you want to protect her from everything and everyone, even though she has proven that she can take care of herself on more then one occasion?"

Naruto considered this. "Does taking her to Suna to escape a bad conversation with her father count as that?"

"_That_'s why you were going to Suna?!"

"Well, that and the fact that if I didn't leave town, her dad, her cousin, Kiba, Shino, and maybe even Gai and Lee, were all going to kill me for hanging out with her."

Sasuke shook his head again. "Yes, Naruto. Trying to protect her from her father's wrath counts."

"Okay, then."

"So, your answer is yes?"

"Yeah."

"Then there you go! You're in love with her." Sasuke nodded in satisfaction.

"...Huh. That was easier then I thought." Suddenly struck by something, Naruto glanced at Sasuke slyly. "And how do _you _know about all this? Could it possibly have something to do with a certain pink-haired former teammate?"

Sasuke blushed, and Naruto cackled. "'Your face turns red whenever anyone asks if you like her, or tells you she likes you!'" he quoted, grinning and wriggling his eyebrows.

Sasuke stood, his face still tinged pink. "I'm leaving now," he informed Naruto stiffly, and quickly raced off to the cover of the forest.

Hinata chose this moment to begin to stir from her unconscious state. "Naruto-kun?" she said, blinking. "Where…where are we?"

"The old training grounds. You fainted."

"Oh." She blushed. Obviously, her memory had returned to her.

"Hey, Hinata?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"I think Sasuke might be right."

"About what?" Her tone was slightly hopeful, and Naruto took courage.

"About…about liking you."

Her face went blank, and her eyes began to roll back into her head. Naruto grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Wait, wait wait! No, don't faint! Fight it, Hinata! I don't think I'll be able to say this again!"

There was a moment of silent struggle, but Hinata slowly regained consciousness. Naruto sighed in relief. "Good. You okay, Hinata?"

She was staring at him. "I…I didn't faint! I've never not-fainted before!"

"Really?" He stared at her. "You've never done it, or you've never tried?"

"Never done it!" She was smiling giddily, hugging herself and swaying slightly. "This is so exciting for me!"

Naruto grinned at her, but then remembered what he'd been about to say and flushed.

"Uh, Hinata?"

"Yeah?"

"In case you couldn't tell, before? That was…kinda a confession."

Her eyes widened, and she blinked rapidly, remembering. "…Oh."

"So?" He shifted anxiously. "Are you gonna answer?"

"Oh!" Her face cherry-red, she bowed multiple times. "Sorry, sorry! That was so rude of me; I really should have answered right away! It's just…it's so unexpected, I always thought…and then with Sakura…and you, with your Hokage goal and all…"

She trailed off, apparently still mentally listing all the reasons she'd been sure this wouldn't happen. He sighed. "Hi-na-ta!"

She snapped out of it and blushed again. "Sorry, sorry! My answer is yes, most definitely, assuredly, without a doubt, yes!"

"Really?"

She nodded, her cheeks a bright pink. He grinned, then laughed, grabbing her hands and twirling the two of them around in some sort of insane happy-dance. "That's great! That's fantastic!"

She couldn't help but start laughing with him, and gradually the spinning slowed, and they stood, panting, forehead-to-forehead.

"So," he said softly, his breath warm on her face. "Am I allowed to kiss you now?"

She squeaked, but slowly nodded her head.

So he lowered his lips to hers, and she sighed as her eyes slipped closed.

_Hey, check it out – someone's singing. _Naruto thought absently. _And are those harps? Weird. Those flowers starting to bloom around us are pretty cool, though. But those guys over there with the black auras are totally ruining the mood._

…_Wait a minute. What was that?_

Hesitantly, Naruto brought his eyes back to the dark patch, and gulped audibly, quickly drawing away from Hinata. Looking confused, she opened her eyes. She instantly froze.

"Eep!"

"Hello, Naruto. Hinata-sama." Neji commented calmly, his voice not matching the utter fury in his eyes. Hiashi, who stood at his left, activated his Byakugan. Kiba, on his right, had his hackles up and was growling, with Akamaru at his side licking his chops. Shino stood behind them all with a small army of bugs gathered around him buzzing angrily. And last, and possibly least, Gai and Lee suddenly popped up. "Oh!" Gai rubbed his hands together excitedly. "A youthful battle! Yosh! Lee, my youthful student, I think we should join in this most youthful of tests to our skills!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei! That is exactly what I was thinking! This youthful fight will test our youthful skills and make them stronger! Yosh!"

"Why me?" Naruto asked the sky, and then ran for his life. But not before snatching one final kiss.

* * *

_**The End**_

* * *

**Authoress Note:**

_I was really surprised! Seven reviews in, what, three days? Thanks, you guys! :D._

_I'm sorry if some of you are upset with me for not making Sasuke be the evil guy. At least_, _not completely. But I can't write battle scenes to save my life, and, I'm sorry to say, one of my friends really, really likes him, and I think she's swaying me. Thanks a lot, 'Tenshi_ _-glares-._

_Anyway, Meiyuu is finished! Cookies for everyone - especially Naruto and Hinata, 'cause they're just so cute. Well, except for Naruto's dead, so he can't have any. Annnnnnd...Hinata's being punished and can't come out of her room ever again. Oh, well, more for us, right?_

_Review, please! But flamers shall be attacked by Akamaru and Shino's Bugs of Doom. -cackles wickedly-_


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